Justin

Jake said that because Agalloch isn't a folk metal band. Not because they're such a good folk metal band that even people who don't like folk metal should be able to like them. They're one of the few bands that Jake has sung the praises of for forever that I never took the time to check out until just the other day. They are quite good. -Justin

The moon you're thinking of is Europa. But the prospect of life on Europe is slim at very best. -Justin

Agreed. They'd obviously be bulkier creatures than we are. Of course, that's assuming they took an evolutionary course anything like ours. For all we know, they're tiny worms in flying Matchbox cars. That, or it's the beginning of what I have long suspected would happen. The discovery that we are actually a part of the Star Wars Galaxy. Maybe we're the undiscovered planet lying deep in the heart of the Unknown Regions. And perhaps, this new planet is a way station for outer galactic expeditions! o_O And maybe the whole Galaxy is in one of the many states of Jedi killing sprees. And maybe [i]I'm[/i] the Jedi's only hope! I've got a bad feeling about this... -Justin

I remember the feature you're talking about. I never participated in it much, though. Nor do I recall it being removed. I doubt it would garner much attention here, either. But, what do I know? I'm finding myself closer and closer to putting Deus on my ignore list. Which is rough, because I honestly don't think I've ever done that before. Maybe you could calm down on the oh...I don't know...thoughtlessness? It'd help. -Justin

I doubt there's sentient life. Simply because it is better to doubt until information is available than to believe based on nothing. If it is there, it has to be primitive. I say that simply because we have received no radio waves of any kind from that area. However, because the star is so ancient and, I would deduce therefore, the planet is so ancient, there has been billions of years for sentient life to evolve. Meh, who the hell knows? Not me. -Justin

It's all over the place, man. Google it. NASA has an article on it, too. The gravity of the planet-- if you had read-- is about twice that of the gravity on Earth. The main concern is actually radiation from being so close to the star, rather than gravity. -Justin

You meaan Serj isn't as heavy as System. He is working on a different project now. It isn't System, therefore it shouldn't really sound like System. -Justin

[URL="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=450467&in_page_id=1965"]Gleise 581c[/URL] If you read that article, you have found that new "earth-like" planet has been discovered only a little more than twenty light years from our own. They are only calling this planet "earth-like" because of its size, orbit around its star, and estimated surface temperature, for now, however. But, that doesn't take away from the significance of the discovery. Scientists are saying that it is very likely the surface is either rock or ice based, or some combination of the two. In all three cases, the likelihood of extraterrestrial life just multiplied many times over. Its sun is an ancient red dwarf, much smaller than our sun, Sol, and 50 times cooler. However, the planet in question is also much, much closer to its sun than we are to ours. The planet is some 12,000 miles across with a mass of around five times earth's. Because of the star's size, the planet completes its orbit in only thirteen earth days. I don't need to tell anyone the gravity of this discovery. So, what are your thoughts? -Justin

Name: Iah-Son(yah-sun) 5.0 Age: 33 Gender: Male Height: 6' 2" Weight: 185 lbs Prosthetics: He has a chip in his brain, allowing him to use an engineered sixth sense. History: Iah's entire body is a fifth generation experiment in genetic engineering. He, and his predecessors, is a scientific attempt to create a human representation of the historical figure his name is derived from. In short, he is the fifth attempt of this organization at creating the 'perfect man'. He is not a mercenary. He is not a researcher. He isn't really an explorer of any kind. He left the research facility where he has slept every night of his life in search of some greater knowledge about himself. And the deity he is meant to reflect. He does possess advanced hand-to-hand combat skills. He's also a clinical genius. But he carries no weapons. Nor would he know how to use any but the most basic of weapons, were they given to him. Personality: He is warm and open, when spoken to. He'll laugh and joke, or delve into serious conversation, with all the sincerity and warmth of a grandparent. But he rarely speaks first. He's not shy, but he sees no value in speaking first, if he has nothing to say. His sixth sense permeates his whole perception. Its extent is vast, allowing him to do anything from detect things before otherwise perceptible, to hear the thoughts of a particularly psycho-receptive mind. He does not, however, possess any telekinetic ability. -Justin

[b]What is your availability? For instance, if you held an event where you had to tally votes, you might need to invest more time than usual.[/b] I'll be the first to admit that my availability is unsure. Today, it's great. It has been all week. But tomorrow? Who knows. I am, however, very soon to be getting a more reliable internet connection. Aside of a temporarily insufficient internet connection, I visit this site every day, at least two times a day. And yes, I could and would do more, if needed. [b]Are you happy to work with members to bring their event ideas to life?[/b] Within reason. I'll get behind ideas that I believe in fervently; and I believe members here are creative enough to keep me swimming in them. But I won't feign interest in something lame. [b]List two of your own event ideas here. You will need to be able to bring your own events to OB, as member-driven events will not always be available.[/b] [u]The Great Revolution:[/u] This would be a board-wide event. The idea is that a certain group of members (called the --insert political name here-- party) will stage a political coup of the entire Board. This, of course, would be feigned, and not literal. This would be accompanied by a subsequent 'rebel' party, antithetical to the new ruling party. As I said, this would be a board-wide event. For instance, you would have official political debates staged in the Lounge, RPG-style battles occurring in the Theater, and full-on propaganda wars going on in the Anthology and Art Studio areas of the Cultural District. The way this event would be won or lost would be by political elimination. An individual participant would be forced to the sidelines by losing all three of the events previously mentioned. These events would be judged by a panel of least-biased volunteers from both parties, approved by myself. The party left with no more active members would then lose. There are several other key details that I won't mention. Because, if I'm chosen, I'd have to go over them with James and keep them under wraps. [u]Otaku Guinness: [/u] This would basically be what it sounds like. A board-wide effort to collect as many Otaku records as possibly, and catalog them in one place. [b]Are you going to be committed to the job? Why should we make you Event Master?[/b] If you make me the Event Master, I can [i]guarantee[/i] my absolute dedication. If I didn't know I could do it, I wouldn't apply. I'll be constantly brainstorming with other members for new ideas, and I'll make both The Great Revolution and Otaku Guinness extremely memorable events in OB history, as well as any other events I put my hands to. -Justin

[quote name='Avenged666fold'] I mean were talking about music here not science or math. [/QUOTE] Not trying to argue, just pointing this out: Music is a science. There are exact answers. We may not all have all of them, but what we [i]can[/i] do is research. And wikipedia is not the best source; leastwise for music. Now, everyone should, as stated, calm down. This forum is not about arguing. It's not about 'punking out'. It's about discussing, and bouncing facts and opinions off each other. If someone offends you, don't take it to heart. It's just the internet. -Justin

Heh, I appreciate it. I [i]can[/i] do it. The issue is doing it comfortably. Until I can learn to do comfortably, I can't do it consistently without getting headaches. That's something I've gone through for each and every vocal technique I've learned. I just noticed your comment about 'brees', Jake. Hehe. I have to admit, I'm a bree-user. I like to jump out from behind corners and scare people with them. Beyond that small entertainment value, they are worthless. They sound like **** in music. -Justin EDIT** I take that last statement back. I just remembered that I can do this awesome thing that sounds [i]just[/i] a lightly howling wind by inhaling. I would use that on a record as a background element, to create atmosphere. It's not a bree, but it is an inhale vocal technique. Aside of that, inhale vocals are a nightmare from the hell of early JFAC, and their millions of imitators.

That's funny, Jake. I was just about to pass it off to you. Avenged, you have to understand that there are so many varying degrees of subgenres. One band may incorporate a ****-ton of industrial(or progressive, folk, what-have-you) whereas the next may only use it sparingly. In order for a band to be truly metal, it has to meet quite a handful of criteria. It has to be metal at its core, certainly. But it also has to make use of its other elements in a very alchemic way to keep from betraying its metalness. That's why only the most talented of bands are able to experiment successfully with these outside elements. Industrial music is rooted in the 70s. The idea of there being a seperate kind of music that sounded 'industrial' came from bands (at least in part) immitating bands almost exclusively signed to Industrial Records. That's where we get the 'industrial' sound. Nowadays, 'industrial' is a much broader kind of electronic experimentation, but the roots are still the same. You mentioned progressive. That's a bit different. Progressive tends to denote bands that incorporate jazz structure into their music. So, while progressive metal or rock are subgenres of metal and rock, respectively, you have to keep in mind that the progressive element itself is directly associated with jazz. I really respect a vocalist whose voice is consistent, yet still understandable. For instance, Mikael Akerfeldt. His vocals, though they be brutal, are nonetheless beautiful and totally musical. He growls like he sings. And it is that mid-range death growl that is, indeed, the easiest to me. However, unlike Jake, it is also the one I find to be most pleasing, when done correctly. The most difficult for me to achieve is, as I said, the lower death growl. The rumble of Nile, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy and so on. Which while I'm talking about my vocals, it appears a [i]great[/i] opportunity may soon be set before me. My former bandmate's solo project has always had a pretty strong online following, but it seems now that he and his drummer may be working out a record deal with Willowtip Records; the same record company to which Arsis and Necrophagist are signed. And he has long been in need of vocals, a position for which I have long been recruited. We've simply never taken the time to get together and lay those vox down. So, I finally sent him some lyrics (not the same ones I sent you, Jake. I'm still very interested in a folk metal project with you, and those are reserved for that) I've been writing for his project, and he loved them. So, the metal gods willing, I may be in a legitimately signed band soon. Check out the instrument stuff here: [URL="http://www.myspace.com/curatormetal"]Curator[/URL]. -Justin

I read in bed all day. Being sick is a great excuse to be a bum. Though, I'm rarely sick. So rarely, in fact, I forget what it's like to be sick and wish for it. Then it happens, and I hate it. Mind if I ask what, exactly, your disability is? -Justin

Hardcore hoedown is just damned funny. I'm going to post this for fun. This is what me and some friend's of mine do any time we're at a show with dancers and stereotypical hardcore bands. Now, first hear a breakdown coming in your head... Chugchugchuggahchug Chugchuggahchug Chugchugchuggahchug CHUGGAHCHUGGAH!(drums come in, kids start dancing) Chugchugchuggahchug Chugchuggahchug ChugBOWOW ChugBOWOW (Now, here we are at the crucial point of the breakdown. The SINGALOOOOONG! Regardless of what the words are, you shout this) HARDCORE! ChuggahChuggah BREAKDOWN! ChuggahBOWOW KICK SHIT! Chuggahchuggah ITS TOUGH! (Now, we've entered the [i]slow down[/i] phase. This is the next digression of the song from the breakdown. The drums and vocals go out again, back to one guitar. Watch...) CHUG-CHUG-CHUG-CHUG-CHUUUUUG (Drums come back in, now there are suddenly a thousand kids in the pit, swinging and kicking away at those evil ninjas) CHUUUUUG CHUGCHUGGAHCHUG CHUUUUUG CHUGGAHCHUGGAH CHUUUUUG (Vocals again) HARD-COOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRE! CHUGGAHCHUG CHUUUUUG BREAKDOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWN! CHUGGAH-BOW CHUUUUUG KICK SHIIIIIIIIIIT!! CHUGCHUG CHUUUUUG ITS TOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUGH! (End of song.) *bows* Thanks, -Justin

It's like Jake said, man. Industrial isn't ever a stand alone style of music. Industrial is more like a...[i]flavor[/i] of music. Say you have lollipops, ice cream, and candy coated peanuts. All three can share a flavor, say, cinnamon. But cinnamon isn't a candy you eat by itself, it's a flavor. Industrial is something certain musicians of various genres choose to incorporate into their music to set it apart from other musicians in those genres. You have metal. You have rock. You have industrial metal. You have industrial rock. You don't have metal industrial, or rock industrial. Industrial is always the adjective. That's what makes sub genres. That make sense? -Justin

What band are you talking about, bro? It'd probably be easier to give you a fair guesstimate of their sound if we could hear their stuff. -Justin

I'd run away to my apartment, have daily misadventures with roommates eating my food and drinking my beer, and me drinking their beer and eating their food. Then, we'd make cheap YouTube videos with our digital cameras reenacting classic biblical stories, for our English classes. -Justin

And here we have a classic debate. One that has gone on for decades. How far does the First Amendment extend, and what, exactly, does it cover? I like this, but I don't much feel like contributing anymore than encouragement at this time. I've read all these opinions, and am finding mine to be unclear at this point. For, to ban these people from protesting in a place otherwise exceptable, simply based on the [i]sensitivity[/i] of the situation, is to dabble with legislation in [i]degrees[/i]. And that's dangerous. Also, we should probably steer this conversation clear of religious ideas. Or at least, if you must make a statement about them, clarify what they represent. Such as: "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner" -According to basic Christianity. That makes things a lot more clear and helps to avoid problems. -Justin

Yep, you'd be right. She's also got one of the best tones in extreme vocals I've ever heard from a female. That said, let's talk about extreme voacl technique. How, for those of us so endowed, can you best describe how you produce the Sound of the Beast? I learned from the place I was first exposed: post-2002 metal/deathcore. This leads to the majority of my vocal style being produced by simple throat distortion. That is to say, most of my vocals are made in the throat, and not a product of volume or strain on my chords. This, I deduce, is the easiest and best way to achieve the most desired tones and styles. It started for me with a standard metalcore mid-range. Not death metal mid range, as in Opeth or Amon Amarth, mind you; metalcore. Think of Still Remains or It Dies Today. From that point, as other things were opened up to me, I learned to expressed the wet, choking higher end of Zao. And from there, it was a straight shot to the piercing demon sound of Trevor Strnad of the Black Dahlia Murder. It was at this point that I began my transition into true heavy metal. Amon Amarth's tone first caught my attention, and I found that it was easily achieved. Then Carcass, which I found was not all that removed from the sound of mid-career Zao I had already mastered. I'm still trying to really develope that guttural rumble of my classic death metal acts such as Nile and Cannibal Corpse. And a truer black metal rasp is simple. Now, I'm not that lady that came up with "The Zen of Screaming" or anything. But I can tell you all this, the best way I know how to learn is to listen to bands you enjoy. Now, recognize that it isn't about being loud, it's about distorting your voice. Then, you just have to work with it. Contributions? -Justin

Point taken, about the privacy of funerals. I should also mention that I wasn't aware that they simply restricted how near protesters could be to such proceedings, which I think is the most fair option. You have to understand, in light of our government's abuses of civil liberties recently, it's hard for me not to jump to the worst of possible conclusions. Reading that statement now, I see how quickly that can lead to other violations of [i]humanity.[/i] All that said, I still don't find the action taken against the Phelps in civil court to be excessive. Thank God for democracy, flawed as it may be in human hands. Because if I ruled the world, justice would be tainted with vengeance, to say the least. -Justin

Is it really fair to hold people to standards you, your[i]damn[/i]self, don't meet James? You talk of 'not selling yourself.' Well, I say you're the biggest sell-out here! You..you and your plush world of secret lounges, immaculate posts, and super secret projects. How could you--you, of all people--play with us like that, James? No, but really, Deus. I don't even know you that well, but I have noticed you tend to market yourself like cheap sex: Far from the best choice, but always available. And that, my friend, is a poor marketing strategy. -Justin

The states are wrong for banning the protests, bottom line. That's not the states' place, and anytime the government tells anyone that protesting is wrong, it should make us all uncomfortable. However, the Phelps deserved to lose the case. And I don't really think $11 million is excessive. This is especially true if the God they claim to represent exists. Because, if and when they should meet him, I suspect that they'll get their just desserts. I find these people, as most do, to be deplorable. Normally, when there is a person or people whom I do not agree with philosophically or religiously, I'd be willing to discourse with them on our differences, for conversation's sake. These people, however, seem like the [i]talking[/i] type; as opposed to the [i]conversing[/i] type. -Justin

I'd take to a two story house, then destroy the stair case. Simple, yet effective. -Justin

I can't remember what my former responsibilities were, aside of the Lounge. I was the equivalent of a category moderator at some point, but I couldn't tell you what category and whether or not it still exists. It was cool, I suppose. But I've always tried to approach positions like that as responsibility first; enjoyment second. That's probably why I had a hard time adjusting and went a back and forth with it a couple of times. At this point, no. I wouldn't accept it. Simply because my internet connection is far from reliable, and I don't think I could meet the demands. Aside of that, it would depend on whether or not I felt up to the task when asked. I place a pretty heavy weight on things like that, and pay attention to every detail I can, which is kind of taxing. -Justin